‘How does he deal with us?’ Why Walsh holds no fear of Broncos’ conqueror

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When Reece Walsh is asked how the Brisbane Broncos plan to thwart their great conqueror in Panthers superstar Nathan Cleary, he offers a simple yet confident response.

“How does he deal with us?” quips the brash and mercurial fullback, who is yet to register a win against the Panthers in his career.

“He is a world-class player, and if you give him an opportunity, he is going to take it. It is the same as us: if they give us opportunity, we are going to take it.”

Reece Walsh has been the Broncos’ attacking linchpin en route to the preliminary finals.

That confidence has epitomised arguably Walsh’s greatest form of his fledgling career; form that inspired his side’s golden-point triumph over Canberra to book their place in the preliminary final.

Even faced with the same Penrith side that broke Brisbane hearts in the 2023 grand final – when Cleary triggered a 16-point swing – the 23-year-old maintains the same unflappable competitiveness and belief in his Broncos teammates.

For the past five weeks, Walsh has been the attacking linchpin behind a winning run, scoring six tries while coming up with eight try assists, 13 linebreak assists and four 40/20s.

The culmination of those performances came against the Raiders, as he returned from the sin bin for a headbutting incident on Hudson Young – after heated discussions with Pat Carrigan, who joined him for a 10-minute stint – to inspire the most incredible of fightbacks.

The five-time Queensland Maroon’s exploits came after star halves Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam – who will both return for Sunday’s clash – succumbed to hamstring injuries, with Ben Hunt and Billy Walters filling their void.

But Walsh said the key to his remarkable end-of-year surge had been “letting my brain switch off” while sidelined with a knee injury earlier in the year.

“I think it came down to me, to be honest. I probably wasn’t myself and was doing some uncharacteristic things when we were a full team,” he said.

“I got some good time to reflect when I had that injury, and my mindset changed around some things. I feel like I was the one who wasn’t unlocking myself.

“There are times when footy is important and a priority, and times when other things are your priority. Then, when I do get time to switch off, having downtime with my family is my priority.

“I am just trying to do my job for the team.”

A noticeable change in Walsh’s game since Reynolds and Mam succumbed to injuries was his willingness to get into first receiver when he sensed a moment to strike.

Walters, who will miss the rest of the season after sustaining an ACL tear, was credited by Hunt for bringing out the marquee No.1’s best by not overplaying his hand, and by feeding him the ball early.

Hunt, who will shift to five-eighth, insists he will be no different, saying Walsh has been “putting himself in the right positions and calling for the ball when he needs it, so I don’t have to overthink it”.

There had been some concerns beyond the Broncos’ four walls that any disruption to the successful play-making spine could hamper their quest to end a 19-year premiership drought – and even hinder Walsh’s output.

However, while Mam was set to make his return off the bench, Reynolds was adamant that his own reclaiming of halfback duties would not strip Walsh of opportunities when he sees them.

Adam Reynolds will return from a hamstring injury to take on the Panthers at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

“I love what Reece is doing; he can do whatever he wants to do. I am there to guide the boys around the park, and if Walshy sees an opportunity, I am all for Walshy to get the ball and have that opportunity,” Reynolds said.

“I have never been one to shy away from getting Reece the ball. The media can make what they want of the last couple of months, but prior to that, I was trying to get Walshy more ball.

“Not much will change. Walshy has been playing fantastic football and is a big part of the reason we are in this situation. I will be trying to get him as much ball as possible, and if he sees an opportunity, it’s open for him to take it.”

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